Screw Holes and Solid Infill

[sonnichs]

I am working with fusion 360 and a Creality Ender 5.
I have items that need to be bored and threaded. This does not work because once the wall layers are penetrated I enter the sparser Infill area which does not take the threads. I have improved results with a 100% Infill but I find that this infill does not really result in closely spaced runs of plastic (I don't know of any way to make and actual Solid item). Of course I don't want to use inserts for the screws.

Can someone tell me what I am doing wrong here? I thought that the generating software would make the screw holds with thicker walls but apparently not..

Thanks
Fritz

[Gambo]

In Fusion 360 in the sketch tool box there is a thread command that adds a thread to the inside of a hole or the outside of a cylinder if you use this with the "modeled" option set you will get a thread with no need to drill and tap. We have used this feature down to M3 internal treaded. otherwise set your wall thickness enough to allow for the thread. PS Use the hole expansion feature in the slicer to get the right thread clearance.

[sonnichs]

Thanks for your reply. I do not know of a "sketch tool box" or "modeled option" in Fusion but perhaps these have changed --I am using 2.0.9937 Fusion. This has a sketch " toolbar", and "Design" option.

But there is a "hole" option of course on the Design page and it does allow one to specify threading. I did this originally but the Gcode ( I use Fusion instead of a slicer for this) did not give a very large wall. So I had to increase the wall as you mentioned. Of course you have to set ALL the walls for the complete part and cannot do it for just the hole. This works. (I also note that if I generate and STL and process it with Cura I still to not get a solid wall). Bottom line-I just need to use larger wall surfaces all round.

I am happy on what you are reporting about using regarding using the hole feature--I am new to 3d printing and still resort to taps, reams and other things but I guess the little machine I have here is more accurate than I realized. I will try using it to do the taps in the future.

Thanks again!
Fritz

[Gambo]

Hi Sorry I was a bit lax with the instructions familiarity breeds contempt!!!
If from the "design" page you select "Solid" and select the "Create" drop down menu the "Thread" option is just below the hole option you are using. Selecting thread gives a pop up menu with several options .

my version of Fusion 360 is also 2-0-9937

[sonnichs]

Aha--Now I see. Not your fault--there are so many menus, right-clicks, left-clicks, drop-downs. pop-ups and so on that it becomes a labor just to keep track of them all. I need a spreadsheet for this. I think--but am not sure--that the "thread" option duplicates the options in the "Pop-Up" that appears when you institute a hole. It has one icon there that specifies threading. At any rate you were a great help and I will try using the machine to develop threads. I always "chase" after a manufacturer in real steel for example so if they are a little tight etc that will get corrected-

thanks again!
Fritz

[Gambo]

If it is any help we mostly use M3 to M6 threads from the thread pop up menu "modeled" ( also in thread pop up)using nylon 6 and cura slicer with 0.1mm hole expansion. Because of the equipment we design we also use BSP threads G8 G4 but we do chase those to get a good fit.

[sonnichs]

Thanks! that is useful
Fritz

[curious aardvark]

if you increase horizontal perimeters in the slicer. it will put solid walls around any holes.
That's mostly what i do and let the bolt cut it's own thread.
You don't need to pre-thread it.

[terrypin]

CA, I’m interested in this too so would appreciate some detail of how you do that in Cura please? Can you do it, or something equivalent, in OpenSCAD instead?

[sonnichs]

Terrypin-not sure which you are asking about -the reaming or making a hole with walls. I will assume the latter. In scattering of menus in CURA:
>>In the upper Right is a toolbar with 3 small "bars". Click on the bars to expand the menu
>>in the lower right of that menu is a "button" that says "CUSTOM". Click this
>>A set of dropdowns with names like "Quality, Shell,Infill ......" will appear
>> Click on "SHELL"
>> You will see "Wall Line Count" as an option. Keep increasing this and use the "Preview of Cura to see the resulting walls. You need to pick on that gives you enough thickness to accept your threads. How thick is, of course, empirical---try about 10 for starters.

With all the menus, dropdowns, buttons, bars, right-clicks and everything else in modern software it is no wonder that takes a 3"thick manual to document it!

I hope this helps- I am learning a lot of this along with you!
Fritz